Gimme Some Oven

Hummus

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This homemade hummus recipe is quick and easy to make, super-smooth and creamy, and tastes so fresh and flavorful!

This past month, I’ve been on a mission to improve my hummus game.

I’ve had a basic hummus recipe here on the blog that I’ve made and enjoyed for years. But while it was good — I have to admit — it wasn’t knock-your-socks-off great.  And ever since we became regulars at this little falafel joint here in Barcelona that introduced us to the creamiest, dreamiest, smoothest, most-flavorful hummus ever, I knew that I needed to go back to the drawing board and kick my old hummus recipe up a notch.

And thus — the hummus testing began.

My first mission was to improve the flavor of my hummus, which was actually a piece of cake. More tahini, more lemon juice, more garlic, and more salt instantly livened and brightened up the flavor of this dip. Plus a generous sprinkle of ground sumac on top (the preferred spice of our falafel spot), or maybe some paprika if you prefer.

My second mission was to improve the texture of my hummus and make it as silky-smooth as possible, which ended up being a total recipe-testing rabbit hole. Turns out that the internet is full of opinions about exactly how to achieve the perfect creamy texture, most of which have to do with how to cook your chickpeas. So in the quest for killer hummus, I put on my Ali’s Test Kitchen hat and tried ’em all. From Solmonov’s famous method of soaking dried chickpeas overnight and then boiling them until they are overcooked in baking soda, to Epicurious’ shortened method of just boiling a can of chickpeas in water for 20 minutes, to Melissa Clark’s scratch Instant Pot hummus, to the Washington Post’s super-speedy method of pureeing the hummus for a full 3 minutes in the food processor, to various tips from around the internet to incorporate aquafaba, use a blender, and (ugh) individually peel every one of those little chickpeas — well, let’s just say it’s a good thing that Barclay and I love hummus because we’re nearly twenty batches in this month (and counting).

Our conclusion?

I hate to say it, but the difference between most of these methods was surprisingly microscopic. From the way that people talk online, I was expecting pretty dramatic differences between the various methods once we lined our batches of hummus up side by side for round after round of blind taste-testing. But most of our conversations ended up being like, “Dang, I don’t know, I mean maybe batch three is a teeny bit smoother than batch four?! Maybe?”

In the end, the most game-changing factor for us ended up being the easiest, quickest, almost-hate-to-admit-it-after-all-of-that-testing step of all — simply pureeing your hummus an extra few minutes in the food processor. I know, it seems so obvious. But giving the food processor a few extra minutes to work its magic seemed to be the key factor in achieving that perfectly creamy, light, whipped texture that we were going for.

That said, yes, the flavor and texture may have been a tiny bit better with boiled-from-scratch chickpeas, either made on the stove or in the Instant Pot. Or yes, if you’re using canned chickpeas and have an extra 20 minutes to boil them before pureeing, the texture may be just a tiny bit creamier. But honestly, after blitzing our final three batches for 4 full minutes in the food processor — one with chickpeas boiled from scratch, one with canned chickpeas boiled for 20 minutes, and one with chickpeas just straight outta the can — Barclay and I couldn’t even reach an agreement with blind taste-testing about which one was the smoothest. Those extra few minutes in the food processor seemed to even them all out!

Anyway, I know that hummus-making opinions on the internet are very passionate. So to each hummus maker, his or her own. But, if you’d like to try the winning recipe and method that we landed on in our house after our hummus-a-thon, here it is!

Classic Hummus | 1-Minute Video

What Is Hummus?

Alright, first let’s back up for a sec — just exactly what is hummus? In case this is new to you, it’s a classic dish from the Middle East and Mediterranean made primarily from chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), tahini (ground sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and salt. Various countries add in their own staple ingredients, like ground cumin. And of course, if you look for hummus at any American grocery store nowadays, there are about a million variations that you can buy. It can be served warm or cold, as a dip or as a spread, and above all, it’s downright delicious.

Hummus Ingredients

One of the other things I love about making homemade hummus is that most all of the ingredients can be found in your pantry, making this an easy impromptu dip to make for parties, game day, or a regular ol’ delicious weeknight dinner. You will need:

  • Chickpeas*: I simply recommend buying a can of good organic chickpeas, which we will rinse and drain and add straight to the hummus.
  • Tahini: Since this ingredient is arguably the most prominent flavor in hummus, I recommend purchasing a jar of good-quality tahini.
  • Garlic: This recipe calls for two cloves, but feel free to double that if you would like more garlicky flavor.
  • Lemon juice: Fresh, please!
  • Ground cumin: I absolutely love the added flavor of some cumin in hummus.
  • Olive oil: We will incorporate some into the hummus itself, and then drizzle extra on top for serving.
  • Salt: I always use fine sea salt.
  • Cold water: This is another game-changing ingredient when it comes to the texture of your hummus. If it’s too thick and not smoothing out, just add in some more water.

*Or, as I mentioned earlier, feel free to instead use:

  • Chickpeas that have been cooked from scratch: Either in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. I recommend overcooking them a bit to slightly soften the chickpeas and loosen up the skins.
  • Canned chickpeas that have been simmered for 20 minutes: If you have the extra time, just rinse and drain your chickpeas. Transfer them to a saucepan and cover with an extra inch or two of water. Then bring to a simmer, continue simmering for 20 minutes, and drain. If you happen to buy a brand of chickpeas that seems to be harder and undercooked — I’ve found that brands can vary significantly — this method may be helpful.

Then, of course, there are the toppings. For a classic batch of hummus, I recommend drizzling some olive oil on top of the dip, and then sprinkling it with either ground sumac or paprika, plus maybe a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley. But the sky’s the limit with other toppings you could add! Toasted pine nuts, chopped roasted red peppers, and everything bagel seasoning are a few of my other faves.

How To Make Hummus

To make this hummus recipe, simply:

  1. Puree the first seven ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Tahini, cold water, olive oil, cumin, salt, garlic and lemon.
  2. Add in the chickpeas. One can, rinsed in warm water and drained.
  3. Puree for 3-4 minutes, or until smooth. Yep, put that food processor to work! Just keep it going and going until the hummus is nice and smooth, pausing once or twice to scrape the sides down. If the hummus seems too thick, feel free to add in an extra tablespoon or two of water too.
  4. Taste and season. Give the hummus a taste, and add in extra salt, cumin and/or lemon juice if needed.
  5. Garnish and serve. Transfer it to a serving bowl, add on any toppings that you would like, and enjoy!!

Hummus Recipe Variations

The sky’s the limit if you’d like to get creative and mix things up with your hummus! Some of my favorite variations include:

  • roasted red pepper hummus: a classic, and even better with some crushed red pepper flakes sprinkled in too
  • pesto hummus: store-bought or homemade, plus maybe an extra garnish of toasted pine nuts
  • roasted garlic hummus: nix the fresh garlic in favor of a few cloves of rich, sweet, roasted garlic

Ways To Use Hummus

Of course, you can always use hummus as a dip. But it’s also delicious used in:

  • toast: I’ve been on a major hummus toast kick this year (more on that coming soon!)
  • burgers/sandwiches: just use the hummus as a spread for extra flavor
  • wraps: similarly, hummus makes a great spread in wraps or gyros
  • salads: mix in some extra lemon juice, water and oil, and hummus can double as a delicious salad dressing
  • mixed into pasta: similarly, just thin the hummus out with some water, and it can be used as a sauce for hot noodles or cold pasta salads
  • as a “crust” for chicken: this old hummus-crusted chicken recipe is still one of my faves
  • deviled eggs: the flavors in hummus pair perfectly with deviled eggs!
  • mashed potatoes: so good.

More Favorite Dip Recipes

Looking for more great dip recipes? Here are a few more of my faves:

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Hummus

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 208 reviews
  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6 -8 servings 1x

Description

This homemade hummus recipe is quick and easy to make, super-smooth and creamy, and tastes so fresh and flavorful!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/3 cup good-quality tahini
  • 24 tablespoons cold water, or more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • juice of 1 lemon (23 tablespoons)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas*, rinsed and drained
  • optional toppings: extra drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, sprinkle of ground sumac or paprika, toasted pine nuts

Instructions

  1. Add tahini, cold water, olive oil, cumin, salt, garlic and lemon juice to a food processor.  Puree until smooth.
  2. Add in the chickpeas.  Puree for 3-4 minutes, pausing halfway to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the hummus is smooth.  If it seems too thick, add in another tablespoon or two of water.
  3. Taste and season with additional salt, cumin, and/or lemon juice if needed.
  4. Serve immediately, garnished with your desired toppings.  Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Notes

Or, as mentioned above, feel free to instead use:

  • Chickpeas that have been cooked from scratch: Either in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.  I recommend overcooking them a bit to slightly soften the chickpeas and loosen up the skins.
  • Canned chickpeas that have been simmered for 20 minutes: If you have the extra time, just rinse and drain your chickpeas. Transfer them to a saucepan and cover with an extra inch or two of water.  Then bring to a simmer, continue simmering for 20 minutes, and drain.

These two methods may yield slightly smoother hummus.  But in my experience, the difference was negligible and arguably not worth the extra time and effort.

 

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386 comments on “Hummus”

1 2 3 7
  1. OOOOOOOOH. Post a recipe for a sweet pepper/chili paste like that one from Lenny’s! I wanna add it to your hummus. But you figure out how to do it first!

  2. I love the post. It looks good. Kudos!

  3. Puree the chickpeas, garlic and spices first until a rough paste forms, then add in the tahini, then pour in the liquids. This will make it creamy and smooth out any grit from the chickpea skins.

  4. Thanks for posting this! I just made it and blogged about it, delicious.

  5. Classic Hummus Recipe | gimme some oven

  6. Good morning Ali!  I am new to your website and appreciate all the luscious looking & sounding vegan/plant-based recipes you offer, thank you!  May I suggest you add your name under the recipe name?  When I copy a recipe to put it into my file, I always add “Courtesy of Gimmesomeoven” so I remember where it came from.  Just a suggestion.

    My other reason for writing is using the “juice” inside the can of beans instead of rinsing and draining them.  All the salt used is in the liquid.  If you rinse them and drain them, they are much healthier.  This goes for all canned beans unless you are using some that say salt-free on the label.  If you prefer not rinsing and just using them as they are, that is, of course, your/everyone’s choice.  Mine is just a suggestion.

    Thanks again for the yummy recipes!
    Marcia
    PS  I can hardly wait to try The Best Sangria – mmmmm!

    • Hey Marcia, thanks for the kind words and the suggestions! Glad you’re enjoying my blog, and I hope you enjoy the sangria! : )

  7. How long will this stay fresh for in the fridge? 

    • I would say up to about a week or so, but maybe even up to two weeks. Add a little layer of olive oil on top, to help keep it fresher longer, and just go by smell and taste after a week. Hope that helps!

  8. Classics are usually the best and I say why fix what’s not broken, especially when hummus is involved!!!

  9. I was always opting for readymade hummus to save time. After reading the post it seems it is quicker to make than to buy.
    I am a big fan of hummus and gonna try this recipe this weekend.

  10. Such a classic! I love the addition of cumin in this, I can’t wait to make some for the weekend. Thanks for sharing Ali <3

  11. Haha there are so many posts that I look back and realize that I should really reshoot them because my photography skills were not so on point back in the day. Definitely a learning curve in this industry!

  12. I eat hummus pretty much everyday. It’s so good!
    Kari

  13. Thanks for sharing with us this great Hummus recipe, love it, pinned

  14. what dressing have you put on top of your finished hummus? :) thanks for re-sharing!!!

  15. Hi Ali, hummus is a class and always a hit!  Wow, first posted 6 years ago?  I bet your blog has come a long way – that’s a very long time!  I’m  not even a year in :)  Your photos look fantastic.  It’s encouraging to hear that you still go back to your favorite recipes and that it’s never too late to spruce things up on the blog.  Keep up the awesome job!  ✨

  16. Hi Ali,
    I love your site.  I noticed this recipe and it reminded me of my Mom’s cooking growing up and later of her teaching me to cook, especially Mediterranean dishes.  Being of Mediterranean descent, I also remember, as a little boy my grandmother taking the uncooked garbanzo beans and drying them out on a rack in the summer sun before cooking them to make various dishes including hommous.  My job was to keep the birds and critters away from stealing them.  Hommous is very popular these days and I kind of chuckle at all the different varieties, some of which seem a bit odd to me, but am glad to see that you are a fan and are sharing a traditional hommous recipe.    My grandmother used to reserve some of the water from cooking the beans to adjust the consistency (and in her day they didn’t have blenders or food processors but had to rely on muscle power).  My Mom taught me to use a bit more tahini, and reserve some of the juice from the canned beans or use a bit more lemon juice (depending on your taste) to adjust the consistency.  She also said you have the right consistency if, when you pour into a bowl and drizzle olive oil on top if the oil creates a little trough in the hommous as you are drizzling it on top.  Its also important to note that putting it in the fridge for a few hours allows the hommous to thicken even more and the garlic and other flavours to really become infused in the dip.   

    Keep posting these great recipes.   Thanks for these reminders of the best cooks in the world – Moms  (at least mine was :-) )
    Your follower,
    Rob

    • We loved reading this Rob, thanks for sharing with us! We love your grandmother’s tip on reserving some of the water from cooking the beans — smart woman! :) Also, you are totally right, moms are the best cooks in the world. :)

  17. What is Tahini and were do you get it? Can the hummus be made without it? Is there a substitute?

    • Hi Carolyn! Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Hummus can definitely be made without it, but most types of hummus have it, and we think it’s an awesome ingredient. You can usually find it in your regular grocery’s International aisle. We hope this helps! :)

  18. This looks so fresh and delish! I love that there are so many variations you can do, too.  My husband likes it really spicy, and I like mine with mediterranean spices, roasted chickpeas (as a topping) and really good EVOO.  thanks for sharing! 

  19. That hummus looks so good! I would love to try this recipe out. 

  20. Just made this for an Easter treat and it is fantastic!  Thank you for the recipe!

  21. Have you made this with dried chick peas?  I soaked mine overnight. Do I now need to cook them before tossing them in he food processor?  I tried to make it without cooking and they were so hard and the texture was just no good:)

    • Hi Sharon! We haven’t, but if you soak them overnight, saute them in a medium saucepan for a few minutes. Then boil them in some water and skim any foam that floats to the surface. Cook them until they’re tender, for around 20-40 minutes, (though it might sometimes take longer). We hope this helps and that you enjoy!

  22. Instead of tahini, I substitute an equal amount of toasted sesame oil. Same great flavor and ultra-smooth!!!

  23. Do you leave the shells on the beans? I’ve made homemade hummus a couple of times now, and the recipe I used said to take off all the skin/shells which is really time consuming! I am curious if you do this or leave them on and if it’s still smooth with the shells. Thanks! 

    • Hi Amanda! It definitely makes for a creamier hummus if you de-shell the beans, but we don’t always have the patience. :) It’s totally up to you — either way it will be yummy and creamy! :)

  24. Just made this….perfect and so easy. Definitely so much better than store bought! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  25. I made this hummus using the drained liquid from the can of chickpeas instead of water. Much more tasty.

  26. Hi Ali?
    I never used to eat Hummis but everything in it is SO healthy for you. 
    Thought I’d give it a go and I LUV, LUV, LUV it‼️  No preservatives 
    just real food. I eat it by the spoonfuls. I put it in a Mason jar and I could 
    eat the whole jar at once?. Thank you for sharing your AWESOME 
    recipes. 
                                                 Blessings from Canada?

  27. This fantastic and it last longer then three days.

  28. HI Ali and crew,
    I keep visiting your site to see what’s new and to try and expand my cooking repertoire and I saw my comment below and it just put me in this mood that I felt the need to comment again.  When I see these recipes, particularly the middle eastern/Lebanese ones it really brings me back to when I was a kid.  My mom (and my grandmother) used to make their own bread, kibbee, spinach and meat pies (fatayer), cheese topped buns (talamee) and so many other dishes.  My aunts as well, used to be fantastic cooks.  One in particular, lived in Toronto Ontario (I grew up in Northern Ontario) and when she’d hear we were coming to visit, would cook traditional Lebanese dishes for days.  It was a feast, and when I was older I nicknamed them “gut busters” because she wouldn’t be happy unless you ate yourself into a comma.  Those days are unfortunately gone as my grandmother, aunts and mom have since passed away, but the memories and the recipes that I was able to document are one of my most cherished possessions from her.  They were wonderful ladies, and incredibly talented cooks. (I can say that from experience).  When I see your recipes (particularly the ones similar to those that I grew up loving (just read your fattoush salad recipe)), it really brings back great memories.  So to you and your crew, I would like to say, keep doing an incredible job, keep triggering those good memories and keep sharing these great recipes.  I humbly salute you. 
    Your follower
    Rob

    • Wow, thank you for your sweet words, Rob, and for sharing this with us. It means a lot! We’re so happy to know that you enjoy the blog and that it conjures up good memories for you. :) And now we’re super hungry for kibble and fatayer — yum!! :D

  29. I amped up the garlic a bit (I usually do in most recipes)…and added onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and Kalamata olives…yummy!

  30. My wife and I frequently make our own hummus in the food processor in less time than it takes for going to the store to buy the ready made item -and at about a third of the cost. True, we do keep a regular supply of the ingredients on hand most of the time, making the prep a lot quicker. We use the same recipe as given above, but we like a more Mediterranean kick of garlic. T’ahini sauce is available at most urban grocery markets or even at Amazon.com.

    This recipe will make more two of the little round containers at at about 1/2 the cost in 15 minutes or less.

    Enjoy

  31. Loved this recipe but mine didn’t turn out “creamy” it’s a little gritty. Do I just need to mix it longer? Thanks- Lisa

  32. Easy and delicious!!!

  33. Absolutely Delicious!!! I did make one teeny tiny change. I saved the liquid that the beans were packed in and I used that to thin out the hummus instead of water. It keeps with the hummus flavor and doesn’t dilute the taste. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  34. I just made this and it is delicious! Thank you for the simple recipe. Will keep and make again for sure.

  35. Using lemon juice, means you could use the lemonpeeling too. in very small pieces by grating it like GranaPadano. It puts a taste of fresh fruit to the humus.

    Another ingredient could be fresh ginger.






  36. Question: Have you ever used dry chickpeas and cooked them up to use in this recipe? If you haven’t, would you recommend it? This is the perfect recipe that I would love to make and I prefer to cook my beans rather than using canned.
    Thank you for your time! ?

  37. Easy & quick receipe taste delicious but it did come out a looser than expected, will let sit for a couple days to see if it thickens up. Will make again






  38. Quick and Easy to make and it takes delicious!
    I have noticed in New Zealand the store bought Hummus has sulphur dioxide added to it and a lot of other nasties. So this is great! Thank you!






  39. Hello! Would this work in a vitamix?

  40. Unbelievable good and smooth. I added a lot more (juice of two lemons) and more garlic too ! Yummmm you won’t be disappointed !






  41. This is absolutely my favorite! I always triple the garlic! YUM! Thanks for a great recipe.






  42. This hummus dip was absolutely amazing! We add a couple of jalapeños and a bunch of cilantro!






  43. Delicious and very easy. The family loved it. No more store bought hummus for me!

  44. AMAZING! I won’t buy hummus again when it’s this easy to make and so delicious! I did add extra lemon as some others did as well as a little smoked paprika…perfect!






  45. LOVE IT!! way better than the stores and i didn’t have nahini so i used 1 1/2 TBLS sesame oil ..






  46. Just made with fresh (soaked overnight and cooked) chickpeas. Can’t stop eating it. So quick and easy, thank you!!






  47. I just made this hummus recipe today, only because I had leftover chickpeas, because the evening before I made a chickpea and red lentil soup, which was delicious, and I only used half a can of chickpeas, so I decided to make hummus with the leftover chickpeas, and I already had all the ingredients on hand, I followed this recipe to the T , but since I had a smaller amount of chickpeas, I used less amounts in certain cases, 1clove garlic instead of a few, a little less tahini, and olive oil, anyhow the finished product was very good, a little garlicky but otherwise was very happy with results, I myself do not like the hummus you get at supermarkets, its the ingredients they put in to give it extra shelf life, etc






  48. Just curious what you eat with hummus (like crackers, chips etc)?






  49. I added orange juice instead of water to obtain the right consistency. Tastes superb!






  50. Have you ever tried eating this hummus with kalamata olives, or olive tapenade as a topping? It’s incredible, along with a little drizzle of some more fruity olive oil, and some pita bread.